Acupuncture Helps Cancer Patients Recover after Surgery

Acupuncture has been shown to significantly reduce pain, dysfunction and dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients following surgery. Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York performed a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of adding acupuncture to treatment. The study followed seventy patients who had undergone neck dissection surgery for the treatment of cancer.

Half of the patients received standard treatments that included physical therapy exercises and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. The other half received standard treatment with the addition of weekly acupuncture sessions over a 4 week period.

Pain and mobility improved in 39 percent of the patients receiving acupuncture, compared to a 7 percent improvement in the group that received standard care only. Another added benefit is those in the acupuncture group reported a significant reduction of xerostomia, or extreme dry mouth. Dry mouth is a frequent side effect of those undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment that is currently only being addressed with limited success.

Many patients following these types of surgical procedures suffer greatly with chronic pain and limited mobility in the neck and shoulder area. Conventional forms of treatment offer limited relief and show much need for improvement. While more research needs to be done, acupuncture shows a lot of promise towards treating and managing pain for this group of patients. I feel it should be considered as becoming a recommended form of care following surgery, as it provides significant pain relief with minimal side effects.

Study Supports Acupuncture Efficacy for Pain Control

A recent study published in the May issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia, the official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society shows positive support of acupuncture for pain relief.

The study examined 24 healthy volunteers using Quantitative Sensory testing to determine if acupuncture could affect levels of pain perception. Researchers found that pain tolerance increased by up to fifty percent. Acupuncture was performed on classic acupuncture points on the legs with either manual or electric stimulation. The reaction in both legs treated and untreated was noted.

Results showed that even the untreated leg experienced pain relief when the opposite leg was treated. This is an interesting finding because this is often a frequently practiced acupuncture style where the affected area of pain is not directly treated with acupuncture. Sometimes an area can be too sensitive or too aggravated to receive acupuncture, but effective pain relief can occur by treating the opposite limb. This study seems to verify why this pain relief may be possible.

By using Quantitative sensory testing, they were able to clearly identify which two nerve fibers were affected by acupuncture. Modern Science is still in the process of figuring out how acupuncture “works”, but it is evident that studies like this can clearly show some physiological changes in the body at work. More studies on larger scales need to be performed in the future, but these types of tests reveal promising information towards treating chronic pain.

To read the entire research study, go to:
http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/content/110/5/1448.full

Alyson Adams, L.Ac.